Stonewall Democrats of Western New York  

May 2, 2010

As a reminder, the Buffalo Board of Education’s election for the District seats are this Tuesday, May 4.

Unsure which School Subdistrict you live in? Click here to find out.




Stonewall Endorsed Candidates and SDWNY Candidate Pages:

North District:

-Dr. Patricia Devis

-Lawrence Scott (Rated “Well-Qualified”)

West District:

Ralph Hernandez


Click here for Dr. Devis' Facebook page to learn how you can help out with the campaign!

Other candidates who responded to our request to participate in our candidate’s forum and/or endorsement process: Jay McCarthy (North District; would have been rated or endorsed upon receipt of candidate questionnaire), Louis Petrucci (Park District; participated in candidate forum but not endorsement process.)

Click here for the SDWNY School Board Elections page for videos of candidate interviews and to read candidate endorsement questionnaires.

At our general membership meeting this Tuesday, Stonewall members voted to endorse the following district candidates:

North District:

-Dr. Patricia Devis

-Lawrence Scott (Rated “Well-Qualified)

West District:

-Ralph Hernandez

Click here for Dr. Devis' Facebook page to learn how you can help out with the campaign!

Candidates File with the Board of Elections

April 9, 2010

On April 9, School Board district candidates filed petitions with the Erie County Board of Elections. In North, Stonewall "Well-Qualified" candidates Lawrence Scott and Patricia Devis filed. Also filing were rating-pending candidate Jay McCarthy, and Matthew Ricchiazzi (who has not yet responded to request for interview and endorsement.)

For a complete list of all candidate who have filed, click here.

April 1, 2010

Candidate packets and questionnaires have been resent to candidates who have filed with the Board of Elections in the Central School Board district, as several candidates have expressed interest in appearing before our group in April.

If you are a candidate or know of one who has not received our packet, please download the packet below and respond by the deadline of Friday, April 23. We ask that the packets be returned by that date in order to allow our membership enough time to view the candidates' responses before you appear at the general meeting. However, late submissions will also be accepted.

March 23, 2010

SDWNY held our first Buffalo Board of Education candidate forum and endorsement at our March 23 meeting.

At the forum, SDWNY members heard from candidates in the North, West and Park districts. Running in the North District, to replace board member Catherine Panepinto (who is stepping down to continue her campaign for the New York State Supreme Court), we heard from Lawrence Scott, Dr. Patricia Devis and a representative for Jay McCarthy. In West, we heard from School Board President Ralph Hernandez. And lastly, in Park, we heard from Board Member Louis Petrucci.

Video clips are available for each candidate's presentation but Jay McCarthy's representative. Each presentation was very supportive of our LGBT community and issues. A main issue discussed was the Dignity for All Students Act, and how aspects of the state legislation can be implemented in Buffalo, by the Buffalo Board of Education, which would follow the example of other New York municipalities such as Monroe County, where the act has been implemented by local boards of education. SDWNY is interested in advancing this cause with the Buffalo Board of Education, and will begin working with the board after the elections on May 4.

When the membership considered endorsement for the candidates who appeared before us, the general feeling that each candidate supported-- to varying degrees-- our community, coupled with the fact that two candidates (McCarthy and Petrucci) had not filled out complete endorsement questionnaires, led the membership to pass a motion which rated each candidate who filled out a questionnaire "Well-Qualified."

This resulted in SDWNY endorsing as "Well-Qualified" Lawrence Scott and Dr. Patricia Devis in the North School district, with Jay McCarthy pending upon receipt of a completed questionnaire. In West, there was concern that a possible candidate had not been reached, and Ralph Hernandez, though having filled out a questionnaire's rating is pending until our next meeting in April. And Park District Member Lou Petrucci's rating is pending, as well.